Diary Dates
February
- Monday 3rd - Year 3 visiting Focus Point Gallery
- Tuesday 4th - Year 1 Gardening at Garons
- Tuesday 11th - Year 1 Gardening at Garons
- School Council meeting with Chef David
- Monday 17th - Friday 21st - Half Term
- Monday 24th - INSET Day
- Tuesday 25th - Health 4 Life workshop
- Year 1 Gardening at Garons
March
- Tuesday 4th - Health 4 Life Workshop
- Year 1 Gardening at Garons
- Tuesday 11th - Health 4 Life Workshop
- Wednesday 12th - Infant Music Festival
- Year 6 Essex Fire & Rescue visit
- Tuesday 18th - Health 4 Life Workshop
- Tuesday 25th - Health 4 Life Workshop
April
- Tuesday 1st - Health 4 Life Workshop
- Wednesday 2nd - Thursday 3rd - Parents Evening
- Monday 7th - Thursday 17th - Easter Break
- Friday 18th - Good Friday
- Monday 21st - Bank Holiday Monday
- Wednesday 30th & Thursday 1st April Years 3 & 4 Spring Performance
May
- Monday 5th - Bank Holiday Monday
- Monday 12th - Thursday 15th - KS2 SATS Week
- Wednesday 21st - Reception Height & Weight, vision & hearing checks
- Monday 26th - Bank Holiday Monday
- Tuesday 27th - Friday 30th - Half Term
June
- Monday 2nd - INSET Day
- Monday 9th - Friday 13th - Phonics Screening Check
- Wednesday 11th - Class Photos
- Monday 16th - Wednesday 18th - Year 6 Residential
- Monday 23rd - Friday 27th - Year 5 & 6 Swimming Week
July
Wednesday 23rd - Last day of term
Nursery
This week at nursery we have been very busy. We have enjoyed constructing with a range of materials and tools. We have used the wooden bricks as a group to make some amazing enclosures and models. We have also used the empty milk bottles to construct some rockets thinking very carefully about what our rockets need and where they will go.
REMINDER: Please remember the session times as lateness on arrival and pick up times does cause disruption to our nursery day.
- Nursery AM session 8.45-11.45
- Nursery PM session 12.15-3.15
Could we also please ask that Afternoon Nursery parents wait at the gates in Lancaster Gardens until they are opened by a member of staff at 3.10pm.
Reception
This week we have been learning about mass and capacity. We have compared and weighed objects. We have been predicting which items will be heavy or light and comparing using heavier and lighter. We have been exploring and comparing the capacity of containers using describing words such as full, empty, nearly full, nearly empty.
In Reception we try to use the cookery room regularly. This week we made a fruit salad. We were learning how to cut carefully and accurately using knifes. We then tasted the different fruits and described them using a range of descriptive words. Last week we enjoyed making and tasting our own carrot soup and you may have spotted a photo too!
We started the ‘toothbrushing program’ this week. Each day we will work with a group of different children to brush their teeth in school.
REMINDER: The phonic resources are now on Seesaw. If you log in you can access videos on how to say the sounds, a sound mat and the tricky words.
Please ensure you read with your child regularly at home they should read the same book more than once per week to develop fluency.
Year 1
Year 1 have been very busy this week. We have had another group of Pebble class go off on their outdoor learning adventure with Mrs Britton. Our teeth brushing programme started this week, which will support the children to develop healthy habits and promote better oral health. In English we have been learning about verbs and using the suffix ‘ed’ in words. Maths this week has been challenging but we have haven’t given up and tried to spot number bonds in our number sentences to help us find the correct answer.
REMINDER: Outdoor learning groups will continue over the next few weeks. We will let you know when it is your child’s turn.
If you haven't done so already, please sign the consent form to tell if you want or don’t want your child to brush their teeth at school. We need to know either way.
Year 2
This week we have been planning and writing a report about the Great Fire of London. The children have loved learning about this topic and finding out new facts. We are continuing to teach the unit of money, adding larger amounts together. In PE we worked on our balance and developing our core and holding gymnastic positions. During computing we have learned to save our songs to a word document.
REMINDER: Please hear your child read at home at least three times a week and make a note in their reading record.
Year 3
This week we have been writing our own version of the 'Necklace of Raindrops'. In maths we are finishing off our multiplication and division, and are revisiting addition, subtraction and word problems for fluency. In science we have been investigating the strength of magnets and in geography we have been using our weather data to create graphs.
REMINDER: Continue practising your times table rockstars and reading, regularly.
Starfish class – Don't forget your packed lunches and outdoor clothing on Monday for our trip to Focal Point.
Letters sent home this week
Year 4
This week we have been creating our own fact file about Frida Kahlo, we have worked hard to make our presentation look like it came from a non-fiction book adding colour and photos. In DT we have made some South American Chipacitos which were very easy to make and smelled delicious. In PE we have been using our balancing skills and have worked in partners to create new balances.
REMINDER: Please remind your children to read every night and write in their reading record. They do not have to read their school books, they could read a magazine, a newspaper, some instructions etc
Letters sent home this week
Year 5
This week in English, the children have been writing their own persuasive letters to another class. They have told them why deforestation is a big issue and what we should do to help the environment.
In Maths, the children have found fractions of amounts and had a go at solving trickier fraction problems.
REMINDER: If you have any collage materials at home, please bring them in for art. Thank you.
Letters sent home this week
Year 6
In English, we have started a new topic focusing on writing balanced arguments. This week we are collecting different language to use when we write about living in Athens and Sparta, which links to our history topic, Ancient Greece. In maths, we are continuing to use addition, subtraction, multiplication and division to work out the value of numbers and letters in equations eg if 20 = 2a, then a is worth 10.
In science, we are learning about life processes and how we group all livings things, including humans. This week we have focussed on vertebrates and next week we will learn about invertebrate classification.
We watched My Future, My Southend, which was all about careers in our local area. It was really interesting to see what jobs people have and what experience and qualifications they needed.
REMINDER: Homework is given out on Thursdays and is due on Wednesdays. Please encourage your child to ask their teacher for support if they are unsure. We are always available and have special time on Friday, Monday and Tuesday lunchtimes to help.
Homework activities should take about 10 minutes each, if they are taking a lot longer, please talk to us so we can offer support.
Letters sent home this week
French
This week, year two have enjoyed learning about Spring and the changes it brings, in French; year five have been discussing their future plans; year four have been revising the days of the week and talking about their preferences.
Music
Future Events
- Infant Music Festival – 12th March (Music Making Club)
- Southend Makes Music – date to be confirmed (Choir)
- Cliffs Pavilion Music festival – June
Music Clubs
- Band – Tuesday 12.00-12.30
- Music Making – Tuesday 3.30-4.15
- Choir – Thursday 3.30-4.15
Instrumental Tuition
- Tuesday am Guitar – Mr Brown
- Wednesday am Guitar – Mr Elliot
- Wednesday am Keyboard – Mr Hockey
- Wednesday am Drums – Mr Peters
Garon Park Visit
A group of children from Year One went to Garon Park for a fun, rainy day outside. They planted peas in pots and played nature bingo, looking for different plants and animals around the park. The children also dug in the dirt and found squirming worms so we sang the nursery rhyme ' Wiggly Woo'! It was a day full of discovery in nature.
Online Safety
As we grow up, we’re inevitably exposed to new and challenging feelings – whether it’s sadness, fear or rage. These emotions can be tough to handle when we’re still learning about the world – and even once we’ve passed into adulthood – which is why emotional literacy is a vital life skill.
Of course, when emotions are running high, it can be tricky to help young people process these feelings in a healthy way, but it’s incredibly important that we do so as parents and educators. This free guide provides you with expert tips on teaching children to recognise their own emotions and deal with them in a mature manner.
Second Hand Uniform Shop
Our Uniform shop is located within the front reception area of the school and is open Monday-Friday 8.30am - 4.00pm. All items are 50p each (cash only please). We always have a good selection of skirts, trousers, jumpers, tops, dresses and P.E items. Please ask at the office to point you in the right direction.
We always welcome school uniform donations for us to sell at our school uniform shop. Could we please ask that the clothes are in good, clean condition. All items can be dropped off at the school office between 8.30am - 4.00pm. Thank you so much for doing this for the school as it helps our parents out tremendously.
Thank you
Attendance
Punctuality week- 2025
Next month we will be having a focus Punctuality Week where we will be encouraging the children to make an extra push to be on time each day. Improving attendance also includes being punctual, as it is just as important to make sure your child is on time for school as well as being in each day. Regular lateness can result in your child missing key parts of the teaching that would support their learning and progress. The number of minutes that are accumulated because of regular lateness have a very negative effect on learning.
So, as a reminder - Our school gates on Lancaster Gardens and on Southchurch Avenue open at 8.40am and close at 8.55am promptly, during this time the class register is taken. Class registers are completed by at 8.55am, so if any children arrive at school after this time, they will need to be registered as being late at the school office.
Thursday Attendance Meetings/ Attendance Drop In
Thursday morning attendance support meetings continue to take place with Mrs Morris. If you are invited to a meeting on a Thursday, please ensure you attend or let us know that you cannot so that it can be rearranged. If you are unable to attend, but you are able to speak to us over the phone, please do let the attendance team know after you have received the invite, and the meeting can also be held over the phone.
“When pupils improve their attendance, they improve their academic prospects”
Reminder! – Contact the school with a reason for your child’s absences
Thank you to all those parents that remembered to let the school know the reason for their child’s absence. We have noticed that we are making much less calls because you have emailed, phoned in or left a message. It makes so much difference to the team attendance spending less time calling families, our time can then be spent supporting families in need.
“Being here is half the battle won!”
Contact us
If you would like to talk to someone for support or advice on attendance or punctuality, please do not hesitate to contact the Attendance Team and ask to speak to, Mrs S. Wyer, Attendance Administrator or Mrs D Morris Assistant Principal and Senior Leader for Attendance, you can also pop in to the school office to request to speak to one of us face to face, alternatively you call the school or send us an email to attendance@pgps.porticoacademytrust.co.uk we are here and we are always happy to help!
“Being ready for every day and getting in on time is the challenge you set yourself to achieve greatness!”
Weekly Attendance Report
Dinner Menu
Week 2
Monday
- Beef Bolognaise & Penne Pasta Bake
- Vegan Bolognaise with Spaghetti
- Jacket Potato with Baked Beans
- Cauliflower & Green Beans
- Maryland Cookie
Tuesday
- Caribbean Chicken & Sweet Potato Curry with Steamed Rice
- Vegan Spiced Squash & Potato Samosa
- Pasta with Squash & Tomato Sauce
- Carrots & Peas
- Carrot & Apple Flapjack
Wednesday
- Honey Roast Gammon with Gravy
- Vegan Bombay Chickpea Burrito
- Pasta with Squash & Tomato Sauce
- Roast Potatoes, Seasonal Greens & Carrots
- Jam Sponge
Thursday
- Curried Beef & Vegetable with Steamed Rice
- Vegan Mexican Bean & Vegetable Savoury Rice
- Jacket Potato with Cheddar Cheese
- Broccoli & Sweetcorn
- Cherry Shortbread
Friday
- Fish Fingers, Chips & Ketchup
- Vegan Boston BBQ 3 Bean Stew with Baked Jackets
- Pasta with Squash & Tomato Sauce
- Baked Beans & Peas
- Vanilla Ice Cream
Children's Mental Health Week
3rd - 9th February 2025
Community
NHS - Together with Baby (Essex Parent Infant Mental Health Service)
Together with Baby (Essex Parent Infant Mental Health Service) is a specialist parent and infant mental health service. We help parents better understand their baby’s emotional responses and communications, and strengthen the relationship between them.
Many parents find that they have not bonded with their baby in the way that they had hoped. Some may also have difficult feelings about being a parent. Which can be confusing and uncomfortable. We work with parents and their infants in the first 1001 days of their life, from conception to age two.
Please click on the link below for more information.
Cost of Living Advice
Click here to access cost of living advice from Southend City Council. It contains information on housing support, energy cost advice and benefits and support for those with children.